Here's the kicker for me. Teams weren't falling over themselves to sign Adams, I think Vancouver was the only team interested..... and obviously that didn't go through and Adams can sign where he wants. So do you mean to tell me that Shero and Byslma couldn't of just looked around and found a 3rd liner aka Lapierre for example signed that player then made a cap trade which would be trading Niskanen and just signed Adams later in the summer? I'm 99% sure he would of been available. HE HAD TO BE SIGNED on first day of free agency? what is the sick obessession that management has with Adams?

It's one thing to reup Kunitz who played really well last season and they paid a price at the time they traded for him and bring back Dupuis who has got better and was a bonus in the Hossa deal. I think this team needs to worry about other things then bringing back a 4th liner. If he's that good and that important then why did Carolina let him go and Chicago put him on waivers? I'm trying to wrap my head around why bringing him back is such a big priority.

SolidSnake wrote:Here's the kicker for me. Teams weren't falling over themselves to sign Adams, I think Vancouver was the only team interested..... and obviously that didn't go through and Adams can sign where he wants. So do you mean to tell me that Shero and Byslma couldn't of just looked around and found a 3rd liner aka Lapierre for example signed that player then made a cap trade which would be trading Niskanen and just signed Adams later in the summer? I'm 99% sure he would of been available. HE HAD TO BE SIGNED on first day of free agency? what is the sick obessession that management has with Adams?

It's one thing to reup Kunitz who played really well last season and they paid a price at the time they traded for him and bring back Dupuis who has got better and was a bonus in the Hossa deal. I think this team needs to worry about other things then bringing back a 4th liner. If he's that good and that important then why did Carolina let him go and Chicago put him on waivers? I'm trying to wrap my head around why bringing him back is such a big priority.

What's the sick obsession with management not using an AHL guy and giving him a chance to grow into being a competent 3rd/4th line guy?

Like I said on UFA day, I don't think it's a good assumption that Adams would have been available later. I doubt Shero really wanted to give him two years, if that were the case he most likely wouldn't have even made it to 7/5. If Shero was willing to give him two years in the end, that tells me that another team was offering him at least an equivalent deal if not better. Shero's isn't perfect but we all know he's not a moron. He's not going to guarantee a 36 year old fourth liner two years if it wasn't necessary.

Of course, he could have just moved on from Adams and I know that would be preferable for a lot of people. I think he saw how crazy the market was and stuck with someone who's a known commodity and dependable, even if he's not anything great. Better him than some AHL scrub. It also might have been different if they had prospects in the AHL ready to step in but it doesn't look like they do. That of course is on Shero but it's a separate issue.

So with D'Agostini signed and Zolnierczyk acquired, both are adquate NHL 4th liners on the RW. With Adams also resigned where does that leave Vitale? Can he play wing with Sutter and maybe Jokinen or Jeffrey on the other side?

I don't want to hijack the thread but Adams has no place other than 4th line and I don't see Shero carrying 13 forwards if he can save even just a little bit of cap space to use at the deadline.